DStv Channel 403 Friday, 04 October 2024

Shootings keep Westbury residents on edge

JOHANNESBURG - There are fears that turf wars are flaring up again in the Johannesburg suburb of Westbury.

An elderly man and a teenager are recovering in hospital after they were shot.

READ: Crime in SA | Police slammed for Westbury bloodshed

Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela believes they were caught in the crossfire of rival gangs.

"This elderly person was from church, just walking, innocently so, in the streets, and unfortunately they just shot randomly, he was shot at, he was taken to the nearby shop for medical attention while they are still waiting for the ambulance, and a few seconds later, was this 16-year-old who was also shot on his arm and also taken by a private person to the hospital for medical attention.

READ: Mom of girl killed in Westbury shooting fears for her life

"For now we are investigating, but the information we are gathering on the ground is to say that some weeks ago, there was some clash between two groupings and somebody was stabbed, so it looks like it was a revenge, but unfortunately it happened that these two people, they were at wrong place at the wrong time," Mawela said.

"We call upon the community to continue to work with us, previously we have managed to solve this type of cases because the communities were very quick to tell us who did these things."

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